Comments on: What’s The Story With…Plastic Cutlery? http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/ The Official Whole Foods Market Blog Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:14:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Don Ladanyi http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/#comment-203112 Don Ladanyi Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:26:06 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=3355#comment-203112 Obviously not familiar with TruFlavorWare non-metallic tabletop flatware that "Simply makes Food taste Better!" Actually allows normally bland salads to be all they can be with very little calorie-raising salad dressings needed! Unlike metal or plastic flatware can, TruFlavorWare imparts no "metallic taste", plasticizers, oils, formaldehyde or BPA. Obviously not familiar with TruFlavorWare non-metallic tabletop flatware that “Simply makes Food taste Better!” Actually allows normally bland salads to be all they can be with very little calorie-raising salad dressings needed! Unlike metal or plastic flatware can, TruFlavorWare imparts no “metallic taste”, plasticizers, oils, formaldehyde or BPA.

]]> By: Tiffane http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/#comment-120273 Tiffane Tue, 31 May 2011 19:22:44 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=3355#comment-120273 wow. this was super informative on all of levels, in terms of standards, rationales, companies that seek to address the issues in their daily practice. thanks for your hard work. wow. this was super informative on all of levels, in terms of standards, rationales, companies that seek to address the issues in their daily practice. thanks for your hard work.

]]> By: Jerry Sadin http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/#comment-66765 Jerry Sadin Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:31:04 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=3355#comment-66765 Hi, I just read Lee Kane's specious blog on WholeFoods' decision to continue using plastic utensils until the perfect compostable products are available. While I appreciate Kane's logic of using WholeFoods' purchasing clout to incent eco-utensil and to-go container manufacturers to produce sufficiently compostable and affordable products, we (your customers) are all missing a huge opportunity TODAY to reduce pollution. Get real, only a tiny fraction of your customers compost. In fact, a high percent may not even recycle, because recycling isn't easily available in their area, or because it's simply too much trouble. So while you sound all green waiting for the perfect compostable products, tons of plastic and paper products are going into landfills across the country because of your decision. Your focus today should be biodegradability to solve your customer's biggest proportional pollution problem. Simultaneously you should continue the good fight to pressure your suppliers to develop safely compostable packages and utensils that are affordable in both commercial and retail quantities (so even I would be out of excuses). And, if WholeFoods really is serious about responsibly using its corporate clout, you would join with other like-minded corporations that also claim to be socially responsible, like Starbucks, and aggregate your clout. They too seem to have some trouble getting off their corporate dime in this area. We shop in your stores because you carry the quality products we prefer and your buying practices seem to align with the health and green-minded principles that many of us care about. Please get off your high-horse and find a biodegradable solution today that does the most good for the largest number of your customers and for their children's children. We're not stupid; if you pollute unnecessarily, you cannot claim to be green. Green is as green does. Hi,
I just read Lee Kane’s specious blog on WholeFoods’ decision to continue using plastic utensils until the perfect compostable products are available. While I appreciate Kane’s logic of using WholeFoods’ purchasing clout to incent eco-utensil and to-go container manufacturers to produce sufficiently compostable and affordable products, we (your customers) are all missing a huge opportunity TODAY to reduce pollution.

Get real, only a tiny fraction of your customers compost. In fact, a high percent may not even recycle, because recycling isn’t easily available in their area, or because it’s simply too much trouble. So while you sound all green waiting for the perfect compostable products, tons of plastic and paper products are going into landfills across the country because of your decision. Your focus today should be biodegradability to solve your customer’s biggest proportional pollution problem.

Simultaneously you should continue the good fight to pressure your suppliers to develop safely compostable packages and utensils that are affordable in both commercial and retail quantities (so even I would be out of excuses). And, if WholeFoods really is serious about responsibly using its corporate clout, you would join with other like-minded corporations that also claim to be socially responsible, like Starbucks, and aggregate your clout. They too seem to have some trouble getting off their corporate dime in this area.

We shop in your stores because you carry the quality products we prefer and your buying practices seem to align with the health and green-minded principles that many of us care about. Please get off your high-horse and find a biodegradable solution today that does the most good for the largest number of your customers and for their children’s children. We’re not stupid; if you pollute unnecessarily, you cannot claim to be green. Green is as green does.

]]> By: Cutlery http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/#comment-36127 Cutlery Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:29:17 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=3355#comment-36127 Wow, what a brilliant environmentally friendly alternative for fast food restaurants and days out such as picnics. How long does this cutlery take to biodegrade? Wow, what a brilliant environmentally friendly alternative for fast food restaurants and days out such as picnics.
How long does this cutlery take to biodegrade?

]]> By: Lee Kane http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/#comment-32636 Lee Kane Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:47:21 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=3355#comment-32636 A bunch of terrific responses to the cutlery blog, and much appreciated! I completely agree, on a personal level, with those who say that putting a price on an item like this forces it to have a value that it simply doesn't if it's free and "disposable". (People seem to forget that "there's no such thing as "away"!) I also agree, although I didn't convey it earlier, that it is a "good thing" to make use of agricultural by-products that would ordinarily end up as "waste". There is some very interesting work being done in Maine to develop a plastic from waste from the potato industry, and that is definitely an initiative worth pursuing for many reasons. More than anything, I personally appreciate and identify with keeping a set of reusable cutlery with me on my person at all times. How simple that really is, and think of how profound the impact could be if everyone adopted a solution like that! A bunch of terrific responses to the cutlery blog, and much appreciated! I completely agree, on a personal level, with those who say that putting a price on an item like this forces it to have a value that it simply doesn’t if it’s free and “disposable”. (People seem to forget that “there’s no such thing as “away”!) I also agree, although I didn’t convey it earlier, that it is a “good thing” to make use of agricultural by-products that would ordinarily end up as “waste”. There is some very interesting work being done in Maine to develop a plastic from waste from the potato industry, and that is definitely an initiative worth pursuing for many reasons. More than anything, I personally appreciate and identify with keeping a set of reusable cutlery with me on my person at all times. How simple that really is, and think of how profound the impact could be if everyone adopted a solution like that!

]]> By: Ronman http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/#comment-32627 Ronman Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:12:27 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=3355#comment-32627 I disagree with food is food and not reuse for making cutlery. The products are made from waste of these natural resources that normally would end up in landfill or streets. For example, sugarcane, once the juice is extracted the fiber is used to make the bagasse tableware. As far as composting. You can put it with your yard waste (Green can) or if you forget, and it goes to the landfill, it still biodegrades much faster than plastic would. 2 years vs 400 years or styrofoam that never degrades. Think about that. I disagree with food is food and not reuse for making cutlery. The products are made from waste of these natural resources that normally would end up in landfill or streets. For example, sugarcane, once the juice is extracted the fiber is used to make the bagasse tableware. As far as composting. You can put it with your yard waste (Green can) or if you forget, and it goes to the landfill, it still biodegrades much faster than plastic would. 2 years vs 400 years or styrofoam that never degrades. Think about that.

]]> By: Krista http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/#comment-32471 Krista Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:07:11 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=3355#comment-32471 Thanks for this post! I always reuse the platicware I get and then I recycle it when it had its time. I would think that the customers of your store, at least the majority, would do the same. Though, I know that with any plastic (plasticware, water bottles, etc.) the problem is not necessarily the plastic it is the people who just throw them away because it is too inconvenient to reuse or recycle them. Oh well hopefully we will find a perfect solution one day, if not retraining humans to do the right thing. Thanks for this post! I always reuse the platicware I get and then I recycle it when it had its time. I would think that the customers of your store, at least the majority, would do the same. Though, I know that with any plastic (plasticware, water bottles, etc.) the problem is not necessarily the plastic it is the people who just throw them away because it is too inconvenient to reuse or recycle them.
Oh well hopefully we will find a perfect solution one day, if not retraining humans to do the right thing.

]]> By: Jennifermf http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/#comment-32459 Jennifermf Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:00:57 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=3355#comment-32459 I completely disagree with your distinction of "food is for food" not plastics. If we can reclaim corncobs or potato skins and turn them into safe compostable plastics, then it'll be much safer and greener than anything we can create in a lab. By refusing food-based plastics, you're continuing the status quo for overpriced products only the richest can afford your products. The cost of these items will be passed along to us. I completely disagree with your distinction of “food is for food” not plastics. If we can reclaim corncobs or potato skins and turn them into safe compostable plastics, then it’ll be much safer and greener than anything we can create in a lab.

By refusing food-based plastics, you’re continuing the status quo for overpriced products only the richest can afford your products. The cost of these items will be passed along to us.

]]> By: KReilly http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/#comment-32458 KReilly Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:58:48 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=3355#comment-32458 I also think that you should charge for the cutlery - it will make people start to think about it. I'm trying to think what people did in the past. I guess in the olden days there were no takeaways for food needing cutlery. I am trying hard to be like a boy scout and carry my little fork/knife/spoon with me, but old habits (of not carrying them) die hard... Please see this link which shocked me to think harder about using all the plastic around us... http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=11 I also think that you should charge for the cutlery – it will make people start to think about it. I’m trying to think what people did in the past. I guess in the olden days there were no takeaways for food needing cutlery. I am trying hard to be like a boy scout and carry my little fork/knife/spoon with me, but old habits (of not carrying them) die hard…
Please see this link which shocked me to think harder about using all the plastic around us…

http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=11

]]> By: jman http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/10/what%e2%80%99s-the-story-with%e2%80%a6plastic-cutlery/#comment-32456 jman Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:51:29 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=3355#comment-32456 the farmers market dispenses recyclable cutlery made from a potato base and we all through them into one bin at the end, why dont you utilize that idea? the farmers market dispenses recyclable cutlery made from a potato base and we all through them into one bin at the end, why dont you utilize that idea?

]]>